Following the SWVA AGM at the weekend, entries are now open for next season, see attached form and entry rules. These can also be found on the SWVA website at https://www.swva.org.uk/competitions. The entry fees and deposits are the same as last year.
Key dates are as follows:
- Closing date for entries – 13th July 2026
- Draft fixtures – second week in August – note that this date may be dependent on when the NVL fixture dates become available
- Ratification of fixtures 2 weeks later (hopefully by 26th August)
- Season start – beginning of October
Please make sure that your nominated contact is available during the August period to ensure that court bookings are confirmed and fixtures ratified.
Please note the following rule changes:
- Addition of Rule 4d regarding start time of fixtures
- Update to Rule 6d on match timings and addition of Rule 17 on match day organisation.
- Rule 9 – addition of post padding requirements
Last season we had a few matches run out of time and others that were very close. Due to the cost and difficulty some teams have in booking sports hall time, we do not want to mandate additional court time, as it does still only affect a limited number of games. Teams are, therefore, asked to cooperate in ensuring that match days run smoothly and time is not wasted unnecessarily. Additional information has been provided in rule 17 on match day organization. All teams must be aware of the time during the day and not contribute unnecessary delays. Teams should aim to arrive at least 15 minutes before the published start time on the web schedules. If the home team is still setting up after the published start time then they forfeit that part of their warm-up time, equally any team arriving late also forfeits their warm up time.
Teams are reminded again that they must supply competent people to officiate and must nominate a minimum of 4 players who are already competent to referee the standard of play in their division and ensure that those people take responsibility for the teams officiating on match days. If you don’t have line judges listed on the scoresheet it will be assumed that you have not provided line judges! Line judge names should be clearly written, it is not their signature. Scorers should ensure that these are added before the end of the match and that the results box is completed for each set as it finishes to reduce the time at the end of the match.
From the start of the 2027-28 season it will be mandatory for post padding to be used for all SW League games. Clubs which already have post padding available must use it during this 2026-27 season.
Please pass this on to anyone else that you think may be interested in joining the league this year.
If you know that you will not be entering I would also appreciate it if you could let me know and then I can cross you off the list and stop pestering you 😊
The SW Veteran’s Tournament has been booked at Wellsprings Leisure Centre on Sunday 6th December 2026 and more information and the entry process will be out shortly.
Regards,
Rachel
